12 Apr 2017 10:16:08
Just wanted to chip in with a bit of the Lukaku banter. Talk of Pogba's value and also what might happen to Lukaku's value if we wait. and if we qualify for Europe etc. Well I have a couple of opinions. Firstly, the way inflation has effected the value of players over the last couple of seasons has meant we lost out on a couple of signings that we were after. We were too cautious. Man Utd probably overpaid for Pogba I agree. But the way inflation has increased with the Sky money has meant silly prices in places. So "big" signings have warranted "big" money. Slimani at Leicester 30 million. Bolasi to us for 25 million. Ndong to Sunderland 14 million. I can list loads of overpriced players, Sissoko to Spurs 30 million. The list is stupid but true. Based on this "market", then Lukaku has to be worth 2 or 3 times those figures. assuming someone wants to sign him who has that type of money. However, I have serious doubts that the clubs with that sort of money want a player like Lukaku. And certainly not at the risk of that sort of money. So we have 2 years left on his contract and if I was EFC management, I would be saying to Lukaku, " you are not the finished article. Your hold up play needs improving. You were happy to sign a contract that has 2 more seasons to run. We will talk to you in 12 months time about your future and ours! " In between, the value of players is likely to increase further and if Lukaku has improved, we will have benefitted for another season and will have a more valuable player. To sell him now just seems bad business to me. Of course, if we made an agreement to do this, then we have to honour it. But in which case why did he sign the contract with the length of which he did? It is a no brainer to me. Perhaps Ed001/ 2 have a view on this, but to me I don't see why the panic to sell/ worry. His contract has 2 years to run. Make him honour at least 1 year of it.

{Ed002's Note - The price of other players has nothing whatsoever to do with the price of Lukaku. Lukaku wants to play at the highest level and is trying to do what is necessary to patch up a previous issue to see if his agent can persuade Chelsea to consider taking him back. There is also interest from elsewhere and as I have said previously I would not discount Manchester United. You need to put any thoughts about his value and his contract out of mind. He will be looking at what options are available for the summer - this was always going to be the cse. The contract offer from Everton was never going to be acceptable to him - they shot themselves in the foot there. Clubs do not want to force players to stay - it is better to make a clean break of it and move on. Everton are looking at alternatives as I have explained.}

1.) 12 Apr 2017
12 Apr 2017 11:01:09
Ed I understand Lukaku is looking for a move and totally understand that the club would not want to keep a player if he really wants to go. My question is do you know of any clubs that have not sold a player wishing to leave that season but held off for an additional season only to sell later for more than the original offer?

{Ed002's Note - Putting aside the money. Liverpool forced Suarez to stay - a player who is the lowest of the low. West Ham tried to force Dimitri Payet to stay only to have the player refuse to play. Schneiderlin was forced to stay another year at Southampton. Berahino stayed longer than he wanted at West Brom - not playing. Fabregas went on strike at Arsenal. It can get as ugly as Everton fans want. If he wants to leave and an acceptable offer is made, Everton can get in a good replacement and move on.}

2.) 12 Apr 2017
12 Apr 2017 11:29:34
Ed. In terms of Chelsea and lukaku. Is he really going to play ahead of Costa or is Costa definitely going this summer?
I'd love Rom to stay but whatever happens we will support whoever pulls in our royal blue jersey and that will never change.

{Ed002's Note - There is no agreement for a move to Chelsea as there are two senior people who would need convincing that they would have him anywhere near the club again. There is no agreement to sell Costa Geoff but there might well be interest in him. Right now the club only has two first team strikers.}

3.) 12 Apr 2017
12 Apr 2017 11:37:18
Disagree with Degsy on his value going up with only a year remaining. As I have said in previous posts he will need to be sold this summer for two reasons. 1- this summer he will be at his monetary zenith and 2- he will not renew his contract.

I really don't want him to be sold but my preference let's be honest is unrealistic.

I agree with Ed 02 regarding players who have been kept beyond their preferred time at a club.

Looking back over the years, when we lost Lineker we won the league the following season and when we lost Rooney we qualified for CL the following season. It's not all doom and gloom when a player we are so reliant on leaves. Sometimes it's a prerequisite to something good.

4.) 12 Apr 2017
12 Apr 2017 11:38:56
They only have 2 strikers but Rom won't go anywhere he's not first choice surely.
Man United may want him but he won't fit in a lot of top European sides or they won't be able to afford him. In Italy only really juve can afford him and they paid 80 mil for higuian last year. In france only psg possibly afford him and they got Cavani etc. Don't think German clubs can afford him.
Suppose I'm trying to say that the number of clubs available to Rom is very limited.

{Ed002's Note - In Italy there are several clubs who could afford him. In Germany Bayern can afford him - and there is interest from Spain as well. Chelsea don't give commitments to players as being first choice or not - but that is where Lukaku wants to go. However, as I have explained there is a major issue to ovrcome first and the player knows that.}

5.) 12 Apr 2017
12 Apr 2017 12:05:40
Completely agree ace but look at what clubs can afford or need lukaku and it's not many. (Barca, real, psg amd juve and bayern) . Don't think anyone else be attractive enough to him. Only really Utd or chelsea (costa have to leave first) .
Could do a swap with utd paying us 50/ 60/ 70 mil and sending Rooney our way.

{Ed002's Note - There is interest from elsewhere and a number of other clubs who can afford him. There is nothing related to Costa involved either.}

6.) 12 Apr 2017
12 Apr 2017 12:24:26
Well my post has obviously opened a discusssion and I would like to add a few comments: Firstly Ed, without waanting to set you off on one of your "rages"you say the price of other players has nothing to do with the value of Lukaku? I would actually have to disagree in part with that. Market value is market value. Whoever wants him might get him cheaper or more expensively than they want, but whilst he has 2 years left on his contract Everton will not give him away. eg If Chelsea offered 50 million and UTD 60 million, I am sure Everton would hold out for 60 million off Chelsea as a point of principal. Same happened with Rooney. We only sold him to Utd after Newcastle had offered the 24 million if memory serves me right. Whilst I agree with most of the points on here, it seems that Lukaku holds all the aces. but actually does he? He needs to be aware at what happened to the other players who tried to force transfers after signing lucrative contracts. It did work for some but others had their careers blotted with stain. Lukaku is surely sensible enough to know he signed his current contract with a length equating to 2 more seasons ie to 2019. I guess that if 2 Champions League clubs are interested, we will get a big figure for him if he forces the situation. Likewise if only 1 club is interested in bidding, they will probably get him at a lower value. Like I said in the original post, he has 2 years to run. If his agent is doing like you say Ed. ie trying to patch up a previous problem to return to Chelsea, that does not sound like a done deal to me by any means. Perhaps they will patch it up? Who knows? As yet we don't know if Man Utd want him? So if I was on the Everton board, I would be saying to him, "there is no move arranged. You are with us for now and we will see what develops". All of this does not sound like an agreed move this Summer to me? Too many ifs and buts as yet!

{Ed002's Note - This makes little sense - you talk about different offers all of these random numbers again. The point is, the value of Pogba and all other footballers is completely irrelevant to the price of Lukaku. His agent is looking to see what interest there is and has made a concerted effort to resolve an outstanding issue with Chelsea - as I have said over and over there is no agreement with them whatsoever. There is no agreement between Everton and any club over a move this summer.}

7.) 12 Apr 2017
12 Apr 2017 15:32:53
For what it is worth here is my intake of the Lukaku debate, no doubt class player, but if he wants to go, we have to get top dollar and do it this Summer, if
Lukaku stays and we start off slowly, Lukaku will not be happy along with us Evertonians, then it's back to want Champs league football. I would let the guy go if we get a crazy offer, bring in replacements and get a happy dressing room. If we hold on til next season may not get as much, stock is high now with premier league golden boot close, plus the form he is in. Like I say class striker but would rather have a happy dressing room and team morale next season, than sit on a powder keg waiting for the first time a game slips away and the champs league strop comes out.

{Ed002's Note - You need to put aside any thoughts about the money. Everton will do just fine with the sale.}

8.) 12 Apr 2017
12 Apr 2017 16:30:18
I agree 100% with that last statement Ed. We will do just fine money wise. Maybe my point in the last post became too complicated (I tend to do that) . I only used the Pogba and Rooney examples to show how Everton will do ok money wise. Either now, in the Summer or in fact next season. He is our player with 2 years on a contract remaining so we won't "give him away". Lukaku holds some of the aces, but so do Everton.

9.) 12 Apr 2017
12 Apr 2017 20:52:12
I say take the money and go buy siggurdson (25mill) he will get us 10 plus goals a season. Then buy 1 proven premier league goal scorer (Defoe 15 goals a season) and a young foreign talent we can bed in over the next season. There should just be enough money left for a top keeper too. Lukaku would soon be forgotten about then.

10.) 12 Apr 2017
12 Apr 2017 18:13:34
Thanks for the clarification Ed just wanted to know options obviously if he doesn't sign and a good offer comes in I expect us to sell. Nice to see we are already looking for replacements instead of the usual wait for the sale then panic buy.

{Ed002's Note - The club need to be realistic. If he were to agree to stay another year the club can then plan - but they are doing that early.}